LVEDC promotes two from within

August 16, 2013|By Scott Kraus, Of The Morning Call

Three weeks after dismissing three members of its leadership team, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. filled two of the slots from within.

Matthew Tuerk, 38, of Allentown, has been promoted to Vice President of Administration and Investor Relations. Tuerk, formerly with Allentown Economic Development Corp., joined LVEDC in February as its first director of research and innovation

Jarrett Witt, 34, of Bethlehem Township, has been promoted to Vice President of Economic Development. Witt is in his ninth year at LVEDC where he has served as director of business development, regional development manager and business development specialist.

The economic development agency dismissed Vice President of Development Pete Reinke, Vice President of Administration and Investor Relations Jean Mateff and Director of Business Expansion Robert Billheimer in July.

Tuerk and Witt will report to LVEDC President and CEO Don Cunningham. The promotions are part of a restructuring Cunningham began last year. The changes are budget-neutral, the agency said.

"It is my goal and the goal of the LVEDC Board to restore the core mission of LVEDC to market the region for economic growth and to create a full service, one stop shop to help companies to come here, grow here and to stay here," Cunningham said. "We need to be more innovative, strategic and proactive to keep pace with changes in the world economy and to ensure the Lehigh Valley remains successful."

LVEDC, with a budget of about $2 million, oversees regional economic development efforts, promoting the Lehigh Valley as a place to do business and helping companies locate sites and finance expansions and relocations in the Lehigh Valley. The agency is funded with a combination of contributions from member companies, regional hotel tax revenues and contributions from state and county governments.

The agency said it still has three open positions to fill, Cunningham said.